Autoclave cooling system



United States Patent 3,469,414 AUTQCLAVE COOLING SYSTEM James H. Schmidt, Berkeley, and Warren W. Hedstrom, Rolling Hills, Califl, assignors to Fuel Engineering, Torrance, Calif., a corporation of California Filed .Ian. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 699,972 lint. Cl. FZSd 17/06; F28d 5/00 US. Cl. 62309 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An autoclave cooling system including an autoclave connected with a heat exchanger and a blower for circulating gas through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a cooling chamber having a spray head disposed in the upper portion thereof and a drain in the BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to a system for cooling the gases used in an autoclave atmosphere.

Description of prior art Many of the prior art autoclave cooling systems are characterized by the unsatisfactory arrangement of having cooling coils within the autoclave whereby a malfunctioning thereof in proximity of items being treated will have a detrimental effect on such items.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention is characterized by a heat exchanger connected with an autoclave and formed with a cooling chamber and including a spray head disposed in the upper portion thereof and a drain in the bottom thereof. The drain is connected with the inlet of a water cooling means and the outlet of such means is connected with the spray head whereby water can be circulated through said cooling means, sprayed downwardly in the cooling chamber and the gas from the autoclave blown upwardly therein in heat exchange relationship with the water spray to cool such gas.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The figure is a schematic view of an autoclave cooling system embodying the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The autoclave system of the present invention includes an autoclave A and a pair of heat exchangers E and E which house water spray heads 11 and 13, respectively, the exchangers E and E including drains 15 and 17. The drains 15 and 17 are connected with the inlet of a water cooling means C and the outlet of such water cooling means is connected with the respective spray heads 11 and Y 13 whereby water can be circulated from the exchangers E and E through the cooling means C and the cooled water sprayed through the spray heads 11 and 13. The autoclave A includes a blower B for circulating gas from 3,469,414 Patented Sept. 30, 1969 "ice such autoclave upwardly in the heat exchangers E and E to effect heat exchange between such gas and the water sprayed from the spray heads 11 and 13.

The heat exchangers E nd E include closed tanks or vessels 21 and 23, respectively, which are formed with cooling chambers 25 and 27, respectively. Inlet tubes 29 and 31 extend into the lower portions of the heat exchangers E and B, respectively, and the extremities thereof form gas diffusers 33 and 35, respectively. Outlets 39 and 41 are formed in the upper portions of the tanks 21 and 23, respectively, and outlet conduits 43 and 45 are connected therewith. Mist extractors 47 and 49 are disposed in the upper portions of the heat exchangers E and E, respectively, for passing gas blown upwardly past the respective spray heads 11 and 13, to extract the moisture therefrom before such gas passes out the outlets 39 and 41.

The autoclave A includes an outer tank, generally designated 51, which is open on its upper end and forms a sealing flange 53 for mating with a like sealing flange 55 included in a removable cover 57. A concentric liner 61 is supported within the tank 51 and is open on its upper end for receiving items inserted through the open end of the tank 51 when the cover 57 is removed therefrom. A pair of inlets 63 and 65 are formed in the upper portion of the tank 51 and are connected with the respective heat exchangers E and E by conduits 67 and 69, respectively, the gas flow therethrough being controlled by flow control valves 71 and 73, respectively. Hot gas conduits 77 and 79 are connected with the conduits 67 and 69, respectively, and include valves 81 and 83 for isolating the flow of heated gas from a gas heating subsystem (not shown). A pair of outlets 85 and 87 are formed in the lower portion of the tank 51 and are connected with the respective inlet conduits 29 and 31 of the heat exchangers E and B, respectively, by conduits 89 and 91. Hot gas conduits and 97 are connected with the conduits 89 and 91 and lead to the above-mentioned gas heating subsystem (not shown) and flow through such conduits 95 and 97 being isolated 'by valves 99 and 101.

The drains 15 and 17 are connected with respective inlets of a cooling tower 102 by means of drain conduits 105 and 107, respectively. Flow through the drain conduits 105- and 107 is controlled by control valves 109 and 111, respectively, which valves include respective floats 113 and 115 to maintain the drain water in the exchangers E and E at a predetermined level. On-off valves 121 and 123 are included in the conduits 105 and 107 for completely shutting oif flow to the cooling tank 102. Water from the cooling tank 102 is pumped through a conduit 125 and into a cooling tower T by means of a warm water pump 127. Cooled water from the cooling tower T is pumped into the lower portion of the water tank 102 through a conduit 131 by means of a cold water pump 133.

The outlet of the water tank 102 is connected With the spray heads 11 and 13 by means of common outlet conduits 135 and 136 and respective cold water conduits 137 and 139, water being pumped through the cold water conduits by means of a pump 141. Lines and 147 T off from the cold water lines 137 and 139 respectively, and are connected to valves 148 and 149 which control flow to the heads 11 and 13, respectively. The lines 137 and 139 are also connected with the inlets of conventional chillers 151 and 153, respectively. The outlets of such chillers are connected with low temperature spray heads 155 and 157 by conduits 159 and 160, flow therethrough being controlled by valves 161 and 163, respectively.

The autoclave cooling system of the present invention is operated by pressurizing the autoclave A with a desired gas, such as an inert gas. The cold water valves 148 and 149 are then opened and cold water is pumped through the spray heads 11 and 13 by means of a cold water pump 141. The blower B pulls gas downwardly within the liner 61 and blows a large portion of it out the autoclave outlets 85 and 87, the gas passing out such outlets being diffused through the diffusers 33 and 35 into the cooling chambers 25 and 27. Such diffused gas will pass upwardly through the heat exchangers E and E, and in direct heat exchange relationship with the water spray from the spray heads 11 and 13. The gas passing upwardly beyond the spray heads 11 and 13 will pass through the mist extractors 47 and 49 and out the respective outlets 39 and 41. Flow of cold gases into the autoclave A is controlled by the control valves 71 and 73 and the gas passing through such valves is introduced into the liner 61 through its open end and will pass downwardly over the items disposed therein for treatment thereby cooling them.

As water commences collecting in the bottom'portions of the heat exchangers E and E, the floats 113 and 115 will be lifted to open the control valves 109 and 111 to enable the collected water to pass out the drains and 17 through the conduits 105 and 107 and into the inlet of the storage tank 102.

As the atmosphere in the autoclave A cools down, the temperature of the water from the water tank 102 will be insufficiently low to further cool the gasses being circulated through the heat exchanges E and -E'. Further cooling of the ambient gases in the autoclave A will then be accomplished by opening the valves 161 and 163 to also direct water flow from the storage tank 102 through the chillers 151 and 153 and out the heads 155 and 157 to provide a colder mist moving downwardly in the exchangers E and E for further cooling of the ambient gas being circulated from the autoclave A.

From the foregoing it will be clear that the autoclave cooling system of the present invention provides a convenient and economic means for cooling gases used for treatment of items placed in an autoclave and avoids the dangers and inconveniences inherent in providing cooling coils disposed in the autoclave A. Further, the ambient gases in the autoclave A can be rapidly cooled to provide a relatively steep temperature curve.

Various modifications and changes may be made with regard to the foregoing detailed description without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. An autoclave cooling system comprising:

an autoclave having an inlet and an outlet;

a heat exchanger formed with a cooling chamber having an inlet in its lower portion and an outlet in its upper portion and a drain port in its lower extremity, said heat exchanger further including a spray head disposed below said heat exchanger outlet and flow control means for controlling flow from said drain port;

duct means connecting said heat exchanger outlet with said autoclave inlet and said autoclave outlet with said heat exchanger inlet;

blower means for circulating gas out of said autoclave 4 outlet, in said heat exchanger inlet, out said heat exchanger outlet and in said autoclave inlet;

water cooling means including an inlet and an outlet;

conduit means for connecting said drain port with the inlet of said water cooling means, and the outlet of said cooling means with said spray head;

pump means for pumping water from said water cooling means through said conduit means to said spray head to spray cold water downwardly in said chamber for cooling gas moved upwardly therein by said blower means and to further pump water flowing out said drain, through said water cooling means;

a second water cooling means, said second water cooling means producing water at a relatively low temperature;

a second spray head in said autoclave;

second conduit means connecting the inlet of said second water cooling means with the first mentioned cooling means and the outlet of said second water cooling means with said second spray head; and

valve means for selectively controlling flow through said second water cooling means.

2. An autoclave cooling system comprising:

an autoclave having first and second inlets and first and second outlets;

a pair of first and second heat exchangers, each formed with a cooling chamber having an inlet in its lower portion and an outlet in its upper portion and a drain port in its lower extremity, said heat exchangers each further including a spray head disposed below said respective heat exchanger outlets and flow control means for controlling flow from said drain ports;

duct means connecting the outlets of said first and second heat exchangers with the respective first and second inlets of said autoclave and the first and second outlets of said autoclave with the inlet of the first and second heat exchangers;

blower means for circulating gas out of said autoclave outlets, in said heat exchanger inlets, out said heat exchanger outlets and in said autoclave inlets;

water cooling means including an inlet and an outlet; conduit means for connecting said drain ports with the inlet of said water cooling means, and the outlet of said cooling means with said spray heads; and pump means for pumping water from said water cooling means through said conduit means to said spray heads to spray cold water downwardly in said chambers for cooling gas moved upwardly therein by said blower means and to further pump water flowing out said drains, through said water cooling means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,213,421 9/1940 Wagner 62310 2,389,267 ll/ 1945 Matthei 62-3 10 2,541,861 2/ 1951 Chambers 62-310 LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 623l0, 408 

